Breaking Ground: Jennuine Design & Japanese Patterns AND Giveaway!

Welcome to the Breaking Ground Blog Tour 2019, hosted by Mahlica Designs. This year over 25 bloggers from around the world are joining with me to break new ground by trying a pattern designer that is new to them, try new techniques, new styles, or whatever way they want to push themselves.

For this tour, I decided to use a pattern from a new-to-me designer — which I won in a recent PDF Love challenge in the PDF Pattern Sales & Promotions Facebook Group. And, since Miss 7 wanted a t-shirt and leggings, I then decided to make a woven skirt to go with it using a pattern from a Japanese language sewing book. Read on to the end, because I also have 2 great giveaways for you!

Jennuine Design – Schooner Tee/Dress

I recently received this fabulous donut print from Wolf & Rabbit Custom Fabrics and after looking through my pattern collection, decided to use the Schooner Tee to show it off. I was really drawn to the interesting sleeve in this top, and the fact that it looked pretty quick and easy (unlike most of the other things I am usually sewing up!!).

The Schooner Tee/Dress comes in (obviously) dress and t-shirt lengths, with a hi-lo hem option (I used that), or a regular straight hem. It’s available in sizes newborn up to 12 years.

Ingeniously, the basic pattern is just 3 pieces: front, back, and neckband. The sleeve is cleverly constructed from the front and back pieces. There are also pattern pieces for a pocket and an alternative neckband for ribbing (versus cotton lycra).

The shirt sits just below the bum (I wasn’t sure where it would fall (it does have a finished measurement chart but I didn’t look at that…), so I was hesitant to pair it with just leggings, hence why I added a skirt, but it actually (for now!) works quite well as a standalone top with leggings).

The tutorial includes instructions for combining sizes, a summary sheet (once you’re comfortable sewing it and just need a cheat sheet), and lots of sizing information. I should point out that you MUST read the cutting instructions before beginning – this is to ensure you cut the sleeve correctly.

I was able to construct this garment almost completely on my serger, though the instructions are written with a normal sewing machine in mind.

The tutorial suggests top stitching the sleeve, and I would definitely suggest doing this, as without that step, the sleeve has a tendency to flip up.

Want to WIN A COPY of the Schooner Tee/Dress (or another pattern from the Jennuine Design store)? – scroll down for the entry form! Also, right now my readers can get 25% off all patterns from Jennuine Design using code BREAKING GROUND.

I was really happy with the fit on the leggings. I have learned that my kids do best with leggings with an elastic waistband, so the Flash Leggings were a WIN in our house!

For these leggings, I used a solid coordinate from Wolf & Rabbit Custom Fabrics in Super Coral.

The headband was really easy to construct and didn’t require any hand sewing! It comes in 4 sizes: infant, toddler, child, women. My daughter loves it, though I think I might make it a little narrower for her next time.

Polka Drops Gored Skirt (#12)

My final make comes from a Japanese sewing book I’ve had in my stash for… a while. A long while. I have sewn a Japanese pattern before, but this time, I sewed one that was completely in Japanese.

And it was SO EASY!

I don’t know if this book is in print any more (it’s called “Simple & Design; Boys & Girls Clothes” and is published by Nihon Vogue – a full review with pictures of all the patterns is over here), but I think it’s a worthwhile pattern book if you can get your hands on it! The instructions might seem overwhelming at first (they’re pretty much just a diagram of the finished garment with numbers indicating the order in which everything goes together), but they are surprisingly straight forward and easy to assemble. I traced, cut, and sewed up this skirt in under 2 hours!

I used a linen that had been in my stash for a while, and while it looks really nice, my daughter isn’t the biggest fan. Sigh. I think she’d be more on board with this skirt in a different fabric (and a bit shorter!). I would totally make this again though!

Giveaway #1

Now onto the giveaways! 3 of my lucky readers will win a pattern of their choice from the Jennuine Design store! She has so many great patterns to choose from! ENTER HERE for your chance to win (giveaway closes 11:59pm EST on March 15, 2019)!

ALSO, until March 19, 2019, use coupon code BREAKING GROUND to get 25% off your purchases at the Jennuine Design store!

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Published by auschick

I’m Natasha (Nat) and I’m an Australian girl who grew up in Hobart, Tasmania and moved to Northern Virginia, USA in 2005. When I was a kid, my grandmother taught me how to hand embroider, and later, between seventh grade home ec. lessons, my mother, and a lot of trial and error, I learned to machine sew too.
I mostly sew children’s wear but I'm also trying to make more of an effort to sew for me!
View all posts by auschick

Yes, you should try this out! It’s a very satisfying sew! Ooh, I used to do a lot of hand embroidery when I was younger. I recently took it back up again when I was a passenger going up to NYC a few months ago (a cross stitch that has been languishing for about 10 years LOL). I do find it quite relaxing to do though, and I love when people incorporate hand embroidery into their garment projects!

Oh man, bummer about your machine!! So the only place where you definitely need a sewing machine is to do the gathering stitch along the sleeve. If you put some paper under the fabric, that would help with keeping your machine happy while you stitch it! Other than that, there is the hemming, but you could do that on a coverstitch if you have it, or just do a rolled hem with your serger.

I love that you used a Japanese Vogue pattern!! The results were so adorable!! Thank you for introducing me to another opportunity to try a new pattern designer with their free patterns! Your model looks not only so cute, but comfortable in her stylishness, too!

Thanks!! have you tried a Japanese pattern before? I should clarify this isn’t related to the Vogue that we know in the USA though! Have fun with the free patterns! She has a bunch of cute ones that I’d like to sew up!

Love that the sleeve is included with the front and back pattern pieces. I just conquered a front placket on a woven shirt and it wasn’t hard!! Don’t know why I waited so long. I’m ready to look for new features to learn..

Thanks! I think I’ll have to make one of these skirts for me too (comes in adult size too!). I have a feeling Miss 7 isn’t going to be on board with wearing it though – too scratchy… sigh. I guess linen will just be for me in the future!